mysql load_file retreival

I have set up a script to recieve a pdf file and store it in a mysql db using "update db set field=load_file('fileIncludingFile') where id=$id". Afterwards I can see the file has been uploaded into the blob field successfully and without errors. Now I want to get the file back out. I set up a script with "select field from db where id=$id" and used mysql_query followed by mysql_fetch_row and did echo header("Content-type: application/pdf"); and then echo result[0]; where result was the row fetched. I get the prompt to open with pdf but pdf fails. I have magicquotes on but I understand that the load_file() function within mysql does the escaping etc. How can I "un-escape" the data? The only thing I saw on the mysql manual is on how to use load_file_infile/load_file_outfile which does not apply to this. Can someone lend a hand here?